The Fremont varsity volleyball team competed in the state tournament on November 6, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena after clinching both the Heartland Athletic Conference and the A-3 District titles.
The Lady Tigers finished up their season with an impressive 28-6 record, defeating Kearney, Grand Island and Lincoln Southwest to secure the Heartland Athletic Conference championship. The team went on to win the A-3 District, besting North Platte and Lincoln East.
Reflecting on memorable moments from the season, co-head coach Susan Wewel shared, “I’ll remember the CRAZY things—like buying slushies at Casey’s, watching a random birdie fall from the gym lights, or the look on the team’s faces when I gave them preseason rubber duckies. The look on my face as the team handed me a large ‘800th win’ rubber duckie was… priceless!”
This was Coach Wewel’s first season with the Fremont volleyball program, during which she reached the notable milestone of her 800th career win.
With four different coaches over four years, the team’s seniors have had to adjust to a new coaching style each season. Despite the challenge, Wewel said, “I listened to Mr. Anderson’s story about this group of young ladies, and I was truly overwhelmed by his respect for these athletes who genuinely love the sport of volleyball.”
The team features many seniors, several of whom have played together since middle school.
“We’ve created sacred friendships with each other, which really helped us trust each other during games,” senior middle blocker Katie Proskovec said.
Coach Wewel echoed the importance of this team bond, noting, “Watching the girls evolve and grow at each practice and seeing their love for each other was truly the most exciting part of the season.”
At the start of every season, teams set their sights on reaching state and competing for a championship. What fans may not see are the obstacles each team must overcome to get there.
“There’s a lot of excitement that comes with postseason play, but we knew we needed to stay focused and disciplined to succeed, and that can be challenging,” Proskovec said.
Although their journey at the state tournament didn’t go as planned, this season was a memorable one for the Tigers.
The team entered state as the third seed, set to face Elkhorn South. After a hard-fought match, the Elkhorn South Storm prevailed, winning three sets to none and advancing in the tournament.
While the season has ended, some seniors plan to continue their volleyball careers in college. And as they say: once a Tiger, always a Tiger.
